The Day the Sky Went Dark
by Kahlan22
Summary: A story about, what if Zuko wasn't fast enough to redirect Azula's lightning bolt away from Katara. Reviews are much appreciated.


With permission from the original author of this story, The Aftermath, Devdan I am rewriting it.

WARNING: this version is darker than the original source. *Character Death*

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**The Day the Sky went Dark**

_"What won't shoot lightning", Zuko challenged after deflecting another flame of fire, "Afraid I'll redirect it"._

_Azula was now breathing heavily as glared at her brother, a crazed look in her eyes._

_"O, I'll show you lightning" she huffed before summoning a huge surge of electricity, never once taking her eyes off her brother, who was preparing himself to redirect her attack._

_However, at the last possible second, Azula glanced over at Katara who was farther back by one of the many buildings surrounding the courtyard, watching the scene unfold before her. _

_Azula turned her gaze back to Zuko._

_Suddenly, without warning, Azula aimed her deadly attack to the left of her brother._

_Zuko turned in horror at the realization that the lightning bolt was heading straight toward Katara, who was paralyzed with fear as she watched the deadly strike rapidly race toward her. _

_"No!", Zuko cried and ran to block the lightning blast but just when his hand was inches from the path of the blast, he watched the blue electricity race past her finger tips. Seconds later the most terrifying, blood-curdling scream erupted from behind him. _

_"Katara!"_

_The ex- fire prince turned around and stared in horror at the 14 yr old waterbender, now slumped over in an unnatural position at the base of a pillar, having been thrown ten feet back by the blast. He watched horrified as her limp body convulsed with electricity, blue sparks shooting out from around her._

"_NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

_...  
_

As the last of the blood red streaks faded from the sky, the remaining members of the Avatar Gang made their way toward the Fire Nation capital, in the only undestroyed airship. A quiet, solemn silence hanging over their heads despite Aang's successful defeat of Fire Lord. To them, the worst was not over until they learned the fate of their friends, Zuko and Katara back in the Fire Nation.

As Sokka steered the massive airship from his seat at the front of the ship with his girlfriend Suki by his side, Toph and Aang were resting against one of the metal walls of the airship control room, exhausted.

Drowsy from his infamous battle with Ozai, who was now chained and slumped over on the far side of the room, Aang found himself battling to come to terms in his mind that he did it, he had saved the world. To him that meant no more running, hiding or fighting. The world had unknowingly entered a new era of peace and prosperity.

"So" Suki spoke-up, finally breaking the silence of the room "How do you think Zuko and Katara are doing?"

Aang perked up at the mention of his friend, Zuko, and the love of his life, Katara, the fatigue that a moment ago threatened to overcome him, gone.

"By the way, where are they anyway?", Aang interjected, out of curiosity.

"O, they're back in the Fire Nation" Sokka replied over his shoulder "Dethroning Azula"

The young Avatar's eyes grew wide in shock, "Dethroning … Azula!"

"Yep"

"I hope their OK" Aang said to himself, "Do you think their alright?"

"Sure they are, with Katara as a master waterbender and Zuko … as Zuko, crazy lady doesn't stand a chance"

"Yeah, I'm sure their fine", Suki reassured the uneasy Airbender "If anything they've got each others backs".

"Yeah . . .", the young boy trailed off sleepily and within a few moments had drifted off into a peaceful slumber, thoughts of Katara and the future filling his dreams. Yes, everything was right where it was supposed to be.

Little did everyone realize, their lives were about the change, forever.

...

It was in the early hours of the morning the following day, around sunset, that the gang finally arrived at the Fire Nation Palace. However, as the gang stared out the window of the airship everyone could feel the cold, eerie touch of death around them, something was out of place, something wasn't right.

As they flew closer to the palace they finally saw the devastation of the battle that had taken place in the front of the Grant Hall. There was a grey, eerie look to the front courtyard. The gang could see large, scorch marks running across the stone floors, the tops of the once bright red roof tops gone, all that remained was the outlined wooden skeleton of the roof frames. In addition, the entire left side of the courtyard was collapsed from fallen pillars that had been knocked down during the battle.

"Dear Spirits", Suki whispered.

Everyone, exchanged worried glances, minus Toph, as the anxious anticipation of the unknown threatened to overwhelm them. They had to know if their friends had won.

When the group landed, Aang, despite his current state, was the first one out of the airship. His worry dissipated slightly at the sight of the entire invasion force and Zuko and Mai there to greet him. However, as he drew closer the downcast and grief on the faces of his fellow fighters and friend arouse a sense of concern.

Suddenly, Aang's mind registered what was wrong, Katara was no where to be found. The Avatar quickly felt concern turn to dread.

"Zuko where's Katara?", the 12 yr old asked when he reached the firebender, a look of fear and worry reflecting in his stormy gray eyes.

"Aang, I'm … I'm so sorry .. it all happened so fast we .we just didn't see it coming"

" . . Wha . what happened . . is she? Where's Katara!", the airbender cried, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes, the subtle fear that had began to build in his stomach, grew, threatening to consume him.

Zuko didn't respond.

The Avatars eyes suddenly grew wide as the tears began to slid down the sides of his face. In the back of his mind the Avatar knew Katara hadn't survived the battle, however he refused to believe it himself.

"Aang", Zuko began, his voice thick with emotion "Katara she's … she's". He couldn't bring himself to break the news.

"She's what!", Aang cried, tears flowing freely.

"She's dead"

Those two words sent the twelve year old Avatar stumbling back a few steps in shock, his blood now cold as ice. He shook his head in disbelief, not wanting to believe the truth, he couldn't believe it, he wouldn't. Katara was his love, his everything, his world, she couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.

Before Aang could speak Zuko pointed to the palace doors, "She's in the palace Infirmary, it's …" but before he could even finish the Avatar had already sprinted off into the palace, a cloud of dust left in his wake. Zuko soon found himself left to confront the rest of the Avatar Gang, who had just arrived and were concerned and curious to know why Aang had been yelling and ran off suddenly.

Mai, put a hand on his shoulder, sympathetically.

...

Aang sprinted down the endless, empty hallways of the Fire Nation Palace, tears of frustration welding-up in his eyes as he ran, unable to locate the Infirmary, and Katara. Katara … she was dead, how, why? The Avatar felt himself slow down as memories of his waterbender flashed before his eyes; from the first day they met, to the sound of her laughter, the shape of her smile and the two kisses they shared.

The memory of his stupidity during the intermission at the play on Ember Island came flashing back into his mind. Shaking the thought from his head, Aang pushed himself on.

After several minutes of running aimlessly through the down the corridors of the palace, the Avatar arrived at his destination.

Without a second of hesitation, he pushed the door open and found himself in a large room white room with a single small window on the far side of the room, covered by red drapes. After scanning the room for a few seconds...

That's when he saw her.

The waterbender lay before him just twenty-feet away, on a white, low make-shift bed, that stood a foot tall from the ground, a transparent, silky red blanket draped over her body and face. From what Aang could see she was still dressed in her blue warrior outfit. However, her hands, which were positioned flat on top of each other, rested on her stomach.

For a moment the young Avatar was paralyzed with grief, he eyes wide open as fresh tears continued to stream down the sides of his face in buckets.

_'No!'_, he screamed in his mind.

Upon regaining his composure, the Avatar rushed to kneel down beside the deceased waterbender and, time seemed to slow, as he gently pulled back the red cloth to reveal her face and a deep burn in the center of her chest.

Aang felt a lump form in the back of his throat as his eyes fell upon of the red and back burn in the center of the waterbender's chest. Reaching a trembling tattooed hand-up to cup the side of Katara's face, the airbender flinched and choked on a sob at how cold she felt.

"Spirits, no . . . no, not her anyone but her no, O no"

Out of desperation the Avatar began to shake the waterbender, in an attempted to wake her, but he was met with the same cold, still feeling of her skin against his warm hands.

"No, no, no, no, no Katara! Please wake up, wake up, please don't leave me I. I love you!"

After shaking her several more times, the realization that there was nothing he could do began to settle into the Avatar mind. With blurry eyes, the Avatar starred down at the flushed face of his deceased love, her lips blue and face slowly becoming the pale color of death.

"No", he whispered his voice croaked as he choked on a sob. No longer would he hear her laugh, see her beautiful smile, feel the warm touch of her skin against his, see the healthy tan glow of her skin, or find himself lost in her deep blue cerulean eyes.

"NO KATARA!" he cried out, the grief of the waterbender's death finally overcoming him.

With a heavy heart, the Avatar leaned over Katara and buried his face in her shoulder, covered by her thick chocolate brown hair covered and sobbed in anguish over his lost lover, not caring who heard.

_'I only wish I could have told her how much I love her' _

"You can shed tears that she is gone,  
or you can smile because she has lived.  
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,  
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.  
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,  
or you can be full of the love you shared.  
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,  
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.  
You can remember her only that she is gone,  
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.  
You can cry and close your mind,  
be empty and turn your back.  
Or you can do what she'd want:  
smile, open your eyes, love and go on."

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Quote by British poet David Harkins.


End file.
